Carnatic music terms are briefly described in this page. Major terms have their own separate article pages, while minor terms are defined / described here.
The order of terms is from basic to related terms, rather than alphabetic.
Main terms Nāda Nāda refers to music or musical sound. It also refers to the tone of a musical instrument.
Anahata Nāda Anāhata Nāda refers to the naturally occurring sounds (literally not struck).
Ahata Nāda Ahata Nāda refers to generated sounds or sounds made by efforts of man (literally that which is heard). It is of 6 types. 1.shareeraja - it emanates from the human throat. Example: vocal singing 2.Dhanuja - is born from string instruments. Example: Violin, veena etc... 3.Vayuja - us born when air is passed through narrow pipe like instruments. Example: Flute, nadaswaram etc... 4.Charmaja 5. Lohaja 6.Nakhaja
Śruti Śruti is musical pitch. It is considered to be equivalent to tonic of western music. This is the pitch at which the drone is set, which is usually played by a tambura.
Sthayi In Carnatic music, Sthayi refers to the octave. Madhyama sthayi refers to the middle octave, Tara sthayi refers to the upper octave and Mandra sthayi refers to the lower octave.
Swaram
Swaram or Swara is a single note. Each swaram defines the position of note in relation to the Śruti.
Rāga
A rāgam prescribes a set of rules for building a melody - very similar to the Western concept of mode. Different combination of swarams and swaram phrases form different rāgams.
Ārōhanam
Ārōhanam of a ragam is the ascending scale of the rāgam. It describes the rules for singing ascending notes of a rāgam, including the swarams to use and swaram patterns that form the rāgam.
Avarōhanam
Avarōhanam of a rāgam is the descending scale of the rāgam. It describes the rules for singing descending notes of a rāgam.
Melakartā
A Melakartā rāgam is one which has all seven swarams, namely, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni (sampoorna rāgam). The ārōhanam and avarōhanam of a melakartā ragam are strictly ascending and descending scales. It is also known as janaka rāgam (parent rāgam), because other rāgams are derived from it.
Asampūrna Melakartā One of the 72 parent rāgams first created by Venkatamakhin which did not have strict rules of ascending / descending scales, did not insist on inclusion of all 7 swaras nor disallow vakra prayogas (zig zag notes in scale).
Chakra
A chakra consists of a group of 6 Melakartā rāgams, which differ from each other only in the Dhaivatham and Nishadham.
Janya
A Janya rāgam is one which is derived from a Melakartā rāgam. It may have (a) a subset of the seven swarams Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni (varjya rāgam), (b) an external swaram (anya swaram) not found in its parent or (c) vakra prayōgam of swarams in Ārōhanam or Avarōhanam (zig-zag sequence of notes, instead of strictly ascending or descending scales).
Tālam
Tālam refers to the rhythm cycle or beat cycle for a particular song.
Ālāpana
Ālāpana is a preface to a song, which explores the rāgam of the song, without any lyrics. It is a slow improvisation with no tālam (rhythm).
Niraval
Sāhitya vinyāsam / Niraval or Neraval is the repeated singing of one or two lines of a song, with improvised exposition in each repetition. Sāhitya vinyāsam in Tamil language is referred as Neraval.
Kalpanaswaram
Kalpanaswaram literally means imagined swarams. It is the singing of swarams of the rāgam of a song, following the completion of the song. Though many phrases of the swarams may have been practiced, experienced artists may spontaneously play new phrases within the rāgam's rules - hence the term Kalpana. It is an improvisation of the rāgam, by singing the swarams, namely Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.
Tānam Tānam is rhythmic / rhythm based improvisation of the rāgam. It is done with rhythm based syllables like tha, nam, thom and na. It is usually included as second part in a Rāgam Tānam Pallavi.
Rāgamālika Rāgamālika, which literally means garland of rāgams, is a composition that has different verses set to different rāgams. Rāgamālika swarams refers to singing of Kalpanaswarams in different rāgams.
Rāgam Tānam Palavi Rāgam Tānam Pallavi is a rendition of Carnatic music which lends to total improvisation, in different forms. It consists of Rāgam Ālāpana (rāgam), Tānam and a Pallavi line. The pallavi line is sung many times in different speeds, different ranges of the rāgam and different octaves. This is usually followed by Kalpanaswarams, sometimes in multiple rāgams (rāgamālika).
Ugābhōga Ugābhōga (in Kannada) or Viruttam (in Tamil) is a devotional verse or phrase sung (without talam) in an imprompt choice of rāgam or rāgamālika usually before a song. The rāgam (or last rāgam in case of rāgamālika) is usually the same as that of the song that follows.
Manōdharma Manōdharma is the concept of imprompt or spontaneous improvisation, which is one of the important aspects of Carnatic music. There are many types of improvisations, like Rāga Ālāpane, Tāna, Sāhityavinyāsa, Ugābhōga and Kalpanāsvara.
Kalpita sangeetam Kalpita sangeetam is music that is already composed, learnt and practiced. It is opposite of Manodharma sangeetam, which complements Kalpita sangeetam.
Swarams The seven swarams in Carnatic music, then followed by other terms related to swaram.
Shadjam The first swaram in the scale is Shadjam (Sa). It is invariant and is always included in all ragams.
Rishabham The second swaram in the scale is Rishabham (Ri). It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Chathusruti and Shatsruti.
Gandhara The third swaram in the scale is Gāndhāra (Ga). It has three pitch possibilities, namely Śuddha, Sādhārana and Antara.
Madhyamam The fourth swaram in the scale is Madhyamam (Ma). It has two pitch possibilities, namely Suddha and Prati.
Panchamam The fifth swaram in the scale is 'Panchamam' (Pa). It is invariant.
Dhaivatam The sixth swaram in the scale is Dhaivatam (Dha). It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Chathusruti and Shatshruti.
Nishādham The seventh swaram in the scale is Nishādham (Ni). It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Kaisiki and Kaakali.
Anya swaram Anya swaram in a janya rāgam is a swaram that is not found in its parent rāgam (melakartā rāgam). Anya means outside the set/ group.
Sthāyi Sthāyi refers to an octave of music. There are 5 sthāyis in Carnaatic music, namely, Anumandara (lowest), Mandara (literally means chant, which means lower), Madhya (literally means middle), Taara (means higher) and Athitaara (meaning very high). Most artists sing over two octaves or two and a half octaves range (within Mandra, Madhya and Taara sthaayis). Very few can sing well in bigger ranges of 3 or more octaves.
Anga Anga means part. In the context of a rāgam's scale, the terms poorvaanga (meaning former part, in this case first-half) and uttaraanga (latter part, or second-half) are used. Sa, Ri, Ga and Ma notes in a scale are referred are poorvaanga, while Pa, Dha and Ni are referred as uttaraanga
Gamaka Gamaka is the term used for variations of the swarams in a scale. It can refer to the shake of the note, grace around the note, decoration or embellishment of the swaram. It is an integral part of most rāgams, as it is not arbitrary but is essential part of the structure/ scale.
Vādi Vādi swaram in a rāgam is the main/ primary swaram of importance in it. A vādi swaram is repeated quite often in a rendition.
Samvādi Samvādi swaram in a rāgam has a concordant effect with the vādi swaram. It has a good effect to the ear (melody or pleasing) along with the vādi. In Western music it is equivalent of the consonant.
Vivādi Vivādi swaram in a rāgam has a discordant effect with the vādi swaram in it. It may not have a pleasing effect when sounded together, but composers use appropriate phrases so that such discordant effect is skipped or avoided. In Western music it is equivalent of the dissonant.
Anuvādi Anuvādi swaram in a rāgam has neither concordant nor discordant effect with the vādi swaram.
Janthi rāgams
Prayōgam A musical notes phrase of a rāgam (series of swarams sung in a particular rāgam) is known as Prayōgam.
Vishesha Prayōgam Vishesha means special. Hence, important phrases of a rāgam are known as Vishesha Prayōgams.
Varjya Missing swarams in a janya rāgam, when derived from a melakartā rāgam are referred as varjya. For example, Rishabham and Panchamam are varjya in Hindolam when derived from Natabhairavi.
Vakram Swarams are said to be vakram in a rāgam, if either the Ārōhanam, Avarōhanam or both, do not follow a strictly ascending or descending order. They go up and down (example, 2 steps forward one step back). In such a rāgam, these swarams should always use the same order to give the unique melody of the rāgam.
Upānga A janya rāgam is Upānga if all the swarams in its scale are strictly derived from its melakartā rāgam (parent). There are no anya swarams (external swarams).
Bhāshānga A janya rāgam is Bhāshānga if an anya swaram is introduced in its scale, when derived from its melakartā rāgam (parent).
Nishādhāntya A janya rāgam is Nishādhāntya if the highest note that can be played is the Nishādham. The rules for such rāgams are that they should be played or sung within the single octave - Ni, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. Examples are Naadanaa makriya and Punnāgavarāli rāgams.
Dhaivatāntya A janya rāgam is Dhaivadhāntya if the highest note that can be played is the Dhaivatam. The rules for such rāgams are that they should be played or sung within the single octave - Dha, Ni, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha. Example Kurinji rāgam.
Panchamāntya A janya rāgam is Panchamāntya if the highest note that can be played is the Panchamam. The rules for such rāgams are that they should be played or sung within the single octave - Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa. Example Navroj rāgam.
Madhyama sruti Tuning the sruti (tonic note) to Ma (and also changing Pa string of Tambura to Ma) is called Madhyama sruti. It is usually set for Panchamāntya, Dhaivadhāntya and Nishādhāntya rāgams.
Swaram counts The following terms are applicable to ascending scale (ārōhanam) of a rāgam, descending scale (avarōhanam) of a rāgam, or the rāgam as a whole.
Sampūrna rāgam Sampurna rāgam is a rāgam that has all seven swarams, namely, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.
Shādava rāgam Shādava rāgam is a rāgam that has only six of the seven swarams in its scale.
Owdava rāgam Owdava rāgam is a rāgam that has only five of the seven swarams in its scale. It is a pentatonic scale.
Svarantara rāgam Svaraantara rāagam is a rāgam that has only four of the seven swarams in its scale.
Tālam components
Jathi Jathi of a tālam specifies beat count of the rhythm cycle. It specifically applies to laghu component(s) of the tālam and not necessarily to the entire tālam. The different jathis are tisra (three beats in lagu), chathusra (four), khanda (five), misra (seven) and sankeerna (nine).
Gati Gati of a tālam specifies sub-divisions of a beat in a composition. It is also referred as Nadai. Chathusra gati is the most common (four), followed by Tisra (three). Others are Khanda, Misra and Sankeerna.
Laghu Laghu is the component of a tālam which is the variant part. Its beat count is dependent on the jāti of the tālam. The action for counting includes a tap / clap, followed by a count of sub-beats of the full rhythm cycle. Note that a tisra jāti laghu is actually 1 clap and 2 counts = 3 beats.
Dhrutham Dhrutham is the component of a tālam which is invariant and includes only two beats. Its action includes a tap / clap, followed by a veechu (wave).
Anudhrutham Anudhrutham is the component of a tālam which is invariant and includes only one beat. Its action is a tap / clap.
Āvartanam Āvartanam of a tālam refers to one cycle of the tālam. Most tālams have at least 1 laghu, except for the rare tālams (see tālam page).
Graham